Avocado Chicken Salad

I kind of love it when I realize that I have no idea what I'm going to make for dinner, and it's too late to run out to the grocery store to get supplies.  The situation forces me to be creative, and come up with a dish using only the ingredients I already have on hand.  It's like I'm a contestant on Top Chef!  This is what happened to me last night.  I had leftover diced chicken, a few limes, an avocado that was about to be over-ripe, and an unopened bag of raw cashews. As usual, my fridge was stocked with cilantro, sour cream, and mayonnaise, and so I created....Avocado Chicken Salad with Cashews.  I topped the finished product with a hefty drizzle of Sriracha Sauce, and found myself fan-girling over my own recipe.  

The Branded Butcher

When news of the Branded Butcher's arrival in Athens hit my husband's ears, he was pretty darn excited. A restaurant specializing in charcuterie?  My meat loving spouse thought he died and woke up in the Atlanta food scene.  Due to his enthusiasm, I agreed to the Branded Butcher as the restaurant to celebrate our fourth wedding anniversary.  We could not have chosen a better restaurant, because the Branded Butcher was absolutely the most fun dining experience we have ever had in in Athens.  Because we have only eaten there once, I'm hesitant to out right say it, but I have a sneaking suspicion that the Branded Butcher might be the best fine dining restaurant that Athens has to offer.  

Broccomole

A few weeks ago, I pinned a recipe on Pinterest for "Broccomole" by Domestic Fits.  Instead of using avocado to make guacamole, she ingeniously uses broccoli instead. I'm always looking for ways to get more broccoli in my diet (some say that it is the healthiest vegetable on earth), so I had to give it a try, even though I was skeptical of the results.  Amazingly enough, it turned out pretty darn fantastic! It was a breeze to whip up, especially since I used a bag of frozen broccoli instead of fresh.  I served it to my unknowing husband, who was shocked to later learn that it was avocado-less.  I personally can taste a hint of broccoli, but it still is incredibly similar in taste to avocado guacamole...except with a quarter of the calories and fat.  While I'm a huge proponent of the healthy fats that avocado provide, it's always nice to to have a lighter dip to gorge on too.  Which is why I set the serving size at a HUGE 1/4th of the entire thing. Eat it with sliced bell peppers, and it's one of the healthiest guilt-free snacks ever.

Rhinestone Cowboy Caviar

On of my favorite recipes in the world was created by my amazingly talented friend Jessica.  It's so delicious, inexpensive, quick, and easy to make that it has become a weekly staple in our house for over five years.  No other recipe has managed that kind of longevity in my kitchen.  The recipe is a take on the famous Cowboy Caviar dip, which Jessica jazzed up into an entree, and declared it Rhinestone Cowboy Caviar.

Swiss Chard with Beans & Goat Cheese

Many years ago, after hearing how wonderful Swiss chard was for you, I bought a bunch of it, brought it home, and found myself staring at it in confusion as it sat on my kitchen counter. What on earth was I suppose to do with Swiss chard?  After some research, I decided on a recipe I found on Allrecipes for Swiss Chard with Pinto Beans and Goat Cheese.  I've changed a few things from the original recipe over the years to suit my own tastes, but not much.  The recipe is just a fantastic way to get Swiss chard in your diet, and a great way to introduce the vegetable to wary eaters. The recipe is pretty versatile: don't like goat cheese? Use feta. Black bean not your favorite bean? Use whatever your favorite type of bean is then.  

Chorizo & Egg Tacos

Like my Tofu & Avocado Tacos, Chorizo & Egg Tacos were created by combining a few foods I had been craving and throwing it together on a corn tortilla.  I had recently read a review about how Trader Joe's Soy Chorizo was amazingly delicious, and I had been hankering for Sweet Potato Hash, while also jonesing for avocado...so I came up with Chorizo & Egg Tacos with Sweet Potatoes and Avocado.  And it was crazy good!  While I used Soy Chorizo to make it vegetarian (and lighter in calories and fat), feel free to use regular chorizo, but know that it makes the dish not as healthy (obviously).  I can't vouch for other brands of Soy Chorizo, but even my meat-loving husband went nuts over how good Trader Joe's Soy Chorizo was ("it tastes just like meat!"), so I highly recommend using that if you can.